1993 Honda Civic

Hernandez found another clean hatch with the same set up as his previous gold EG. He checked out the car and arranged a payoff/pickup for the following Monday. Alas another guy zoomed him with cash in hand and took the car.

Devastated, he returned to Arizona pissed off, but came to learn his missed opportunity may have been fate. The kid who purchased Hernandez' car decided to sell it because he wanted to buy a Euro. Hernandez jumped all over the opening. "I was the happiest guy in the world to get my gold hatch back! I couldn't believe it!"

Selling it in February '05 for $7000, he got his ride back one year later for $6,500, minus the ITR bucket seats. He then set off on a tuning binge that would take his ride to the next level. In order to show it at an upcoming Hot Import Nights, though, he had to move quickly.

He added Hasport mounts to ensure the B18C1 powerplant was secure. The stock B-Series was then pelted with bolt-ons to add power and style under the hood, gear from Skunk2 Racing and DC Sports, and JDM fare in the form of ARC and RS*R product. Low Cash Racing re-programmed the ECU to pick up the performance slack in the system. A high-capacity Fluidyne radiator with Slim Fan and Samco hoses keep things cool during full-throttle wallops, and the finishing touch on the B18 is an OEM red valve cover.

From this point the Civic was shod with Mugen RN-R wheels that sported black faces and red lips and Buddy Club extended lugs. One Mugen front strut bar later and the car was polished and rolling to HIN. The evening made for some interesting storytelling.

"A judge came around to my car not once but three times!" recalls Hernandez. "I actually got a little excited, but I thought there would be no way I could win." Ultimately the time came to announce the winners of each class, and Buell and Hernandez almost couldn't wait to hear the news. It was revealed that Hernandez did indeed take 1st in the JDM/OEM category, but not without some initial confusion.

"Jay knows me as 'George' (the English equivalent of Jorge), so when he heard my name pronounced HOR-hey he screamed incredulously, 'Who the f**k is Jorge?!' I calmly raised my hand and said, 'That's me.' I was so happy. I could hear my wife screaming back by the car."

Since the HIN victory Hernandez has focused his tuning efforts on the Civic's footwork, enhancing its suspension, stiffness, and braking. With all the attention being given to the car's underside, Hernandez figured fresh rolling stock was in order. He selected mirror-polished 16-inch 5Zigen Div3s that tip the scales at a miniscule 14 pounds and change, and BFGoodrich G-Force Sports.

"It took me a long time to find a clean set of 16-inch Div3s," says Hernandez. "These were my favorite wheels back in the day and I couldn't afford them then. To most people they're just 5Zigen wheels, but to me they remind me of the good ol' days when it was just all about fun."

This golden Civic is still riding off into the sunset, triumphant in its JDM glory and fully rejuvenated. Hernandez himself is back at full throttle looking for that next J-spec gem to further evolve the car. Rest assured a "For Sale" sign is not in the cards. Second chances only happen once.